EDMONTON – Today, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is launching a made-in-Alberta web comic series, “Illustrating AUPE,” to celebrate the union’s 100-year history in Alberta.

The “Illustrating AUPE” comics were created as a collaboration between Alberta-based artists and AUPE staff. The comics are accessible at aupecomics.ca, where readers will also find artist profiles, educational resources, and a forum to share their own stories of union involvement.

“We wanted to tell our union’s story,” said Karen Weiers, AUPE Vice-President and chair of the union’s Centennial Committee. “We realized early on that AUPE’s history does not exist in silo, that our members’ stories are part of the fabric of Alberta.

“These comics tell stories about women at work, surviving the Ralph Klein era and standing up to the provincial government, the creation of AUPE’s parent union, the Civil Service Association of Alberta, and more.”

Weiers also emphasized how a significant amount of supplementary resources compliment the comics for further learning.

“We wanted to engage people first and foremost,” she said. “We know these comics will spark peoples’ interest, and, when they do, readers will have a number of booklets, websites, and other resources to feed their curiosity.”

AUPE is Alberta’s largest union. Its 95,000 members are celebrating 100 years of solidarity in 2019.